The present invention relates generally to beverage dispensing machines and more particularly to a beverage dispensing machine having a detecting device capable of engaging and detecting the presence of a mug or the like manually inserted into a vending machine cup station by a user.
Presently, there are vending machines of the type having a beverage dispenser and a cup dispenser storing a supply of cups capable of dispensing a cup made from paper or plastic into a cup station for receiving the cup. In this type of vending machine, after a person selects a beverage, a cup is automatically dropped from the cup dispenser into the cup station where the selected beverage is then dispensed into the cup. After this process is completed, the purchaser may then reach into the cup station and retrieve the beverage.
From an ecological standpoint, this type of vending machine may be dissatisfying. Disposable goods such as paper cups are now being replaced by reusable goods. Additionally, purchasers may wish to drink from their own mug or cup. There is presently a need for a vending machine that gives the purchaser an option of substituting their own reusable mug or cup in place of the disposable cup that is automatically provided by the typical vending machine.
Although there has been an attempt in the past to achieve this result it has not provided a satisfactory device. In that device a light source and light sensor arrangement was used to detect the insertion of a user's cup into the cup station of the machine. However, due to spillage and the like the light and sensor often became inoperative and a cup from the machine's cup dispensor was allowed to drop into the cup station producing an unsatisfactory result.
Furthermore, with such prior art device there was no incentive for a customer to use his or her own cup to help reduce cup usage for conservation reasons.